The short time between finishing taxes and starting calving is typically the time of year when I have the most optimism, the most hope, and the biggest daydreams. There’s a little space — a little breathing room to read with opportunity in mind, to consider ideas. Last year’s bomb cyclone shut that down. A yearContinue reading “No, 2019 wasn’t pretty.”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
A whole lot of awesome.
Our family’s Christmas trees are pretty awesome. Multicolored incandescent lights illuminate the things our kids made in school and the ornaments gifted over the last 43 years from my aunt and uncle in California. We hang a chosen few ornaments from my and my husband’s grandparents’ collections, and some retired Chrismons from the church whereContinue reading “A whole lot of awesome.”
A book about Nebraska.
This Soils and Streams column first appeared in the Dec. 14, 2019, issue of the Kearney Hub. This is one that didn’t make it into the online edition. Bah. Consider a gift to your community fund — really In the spring semester of 1997, I was a junior at the best place for me, BethanyContinue reading “A book about Nebraska.”
Work. Work everywhere.
This Soils and Streams column first appeared in the Sept. 14, 2019, issue of the Kearney Hub. It was above the flag on 1A, which is a little ridiculous, but there you have it. Farm families face historic struggles I have thought a lot about work recently. A couple of our daughters decided in theContinue reading “Work. Work everywhere.”
Cannot make this up.
Pretty crazy how simply rotating toys back out of the basement can enthrall the small people. Today we unearthed four doll-strolling devices, and the strolling not only has not ceased in the intervening hours, it even attracted the boy’s attention. I suppose no one should go tell his classmates. This afternoon, the girls played duck-duck-gooseContinue reading “Cannot make this up.”
A reminder of why.
What do you tell a daughter who wants “Wacky Wednesday” when you want breakfast? You say, “Go ask your sister.” And then three girls read it together and you say a small prayer of thankfulness for small blessings and take their picture. I suspect she who wanted “Wacky Wednesday” is going to be very literallyContinue reading “A reminder of why.”
Ballerinas? Not convinced.
Tuesday morning, Raina taught herself to ride Sadie’s bike (formerly Monica’s bike; thank you, Monica!). I then got the opportunity to take off all the training wheels except on Anna’s princess bike (thank you, Farah!) Tuesday afternoon, we had a parade. Kindly humor me by clicking on the car to see how fun the photoContinue reading “Ballerinas? Not convinced.”
Great Plains, amen.
This Soils and Streams column first appeared in the June 8, 2019, issue of the Kearney Hub. Some places beautiful to me because they’re mine Geography interests me — it always has. I don’t know if this is true for all people who travel a lot as kids, but personally, I think that’s where myContinue reading “Great Plains, amen.”
Gold bars.
This was originally a Facebook post. Here we have something I said I wasn’t going to do this summer. August wanted gold bars so badly, and wanted them way sooner than I was ready to be doing them, and they’re only five ingredients plus chocolate chips after baking, so I let him. I know kidsContinue reading “Gold bars.”
Last day.
This was originally a Facebook post. Last day. I’m not a “time slow down” kind of person, but wow, I’m definitely a “don’t blink” person. And I would be happy to use Elvera’s time library to insert a week or so between today and tomorrow! I’m not a huge fan of waiting for the busContinue reading “Last day.”
This Prairie Life. 